#'what are you looking for in a dog breed'

[clockwayswrites]

City Pigeons Bleed Green - Part 24

masterpost

“We should make H— Jason spend some time in here,” Danny said. He was good with the rest of the name now, but he still struggled with with Jason. He was trying. “He could use the reason to relax.”

“I do not believe that Todd is capable of relaxing,” Damian said with a little frown and Danny was pretty sure meant Damian was uncertain, but other people tended to think that it meant Damian was judging them.

“Sure he can. He makes a great pillow too,” Danny said. He leaned over and bumped his shoulders against Damian’s. “Totally bet if you just just sat down and leaned against him, he wouldn’t do anything.”

“Tch.”

“Okay, sure, half of that would be because he’d be too shocked, but really. He’s secretly a cuddler but, like, in a totally different way than Dick. Jason is more like Cass is.”

Damian’s brows were knitted together, but he gave a considering little nod at that.

Danny was glad that Damian went through the door to the hall first. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, exactly, but being out of the apartment now felt wrong and bad and… scary. Danny knew that had delayed them taking him to the Manor and was making some of them anxious, but Danny just couldn’t… it was hard to shake, even if everywhere they went had been safe.

“How were the kittens, Dandelion?” Jason asked. He was leaning against one wall and Lacey stood next to him, looking at something on her phone.

“Pointy,” Danny said with a little smile, “and very cute.”

“We are going to go see the dogs now instead,” Damian said.

“Okay,” Lacey said with a smile. “Your brother and I were talking about what might work for you. I think we have a few options, but I actually have someone in mind for you to meet first of the bunch. She might not work at all but… I have a hunch.”

“As ludicrous as it sounds, Ms. Lacey’s hunches do often play out,” Damian said. “Which dog are we going to see?”

“You haven’t met her yet. She just came here from another shelter because the last one didn’t have the space for her. Before that she was out in the suburbs where she had been adopted, but she kept trying to herd all the other animals and children. They got her from a shelter where she had been surrendered by her owners because they moved to a new apartment that wouldn’t let a dog like her in.”

Danny frown grew as Lacey talked. “Oh, wow… she’s been through a lot of homes, hasn’t she?”

“She has, and it’s really not her fault. She’s only a year and a half old, so she’s still a bit of a puppy and will need training, but she’s a real sweetheart and I think she just needs the right person to love her back.” Lacey paused in front of a door and opened it to some sort of waiting room. “Now, she is a large dog, so I’ll keep her on a harness when I bring him in and you let me know when you’re comfortable for her to come close, okay?”

“Okay,” Danny agreed. He knew he had told Damian not small, but he was suddenly a little concerned by how large was large.

Jason must have been able to tell, because he led Danny over to the small couch to sit down with him while Damian scooted the chair he chose closer to Danny’s open side.

Very, was the answer to how large was large a few minutes later when Lacey brought in a huge dog. The bright red harness barely visible through the mass of black fur that seemed to stand straight out from the dog in a massive mane.

“Okay, come on girl, down,” Lacey said, drawing out the words.

When the large, deep black eyes turned to her, she pointed purposefully at the ground. The dog huffed and settled on the floor looking like some avant guard throw pillow. She snuffed curiously at the group and shuffled forward a few inches on her belly before peering up at Lacey to see if she was noticed.

“Stay. Like I said, still a puppy,” Lacey said fondly.

“What breeds do we suspect she is?” Damian asked.

“She’s definitely a large part chow,” Lacey answered. “She has the black mouth and everything. We’re guessing black lab maybe as some of the rest or some other sporting dog. From those breeds, and her behavior so far, she’s going to be loyal and protective. She will need to be exercised as specially at this age she’ll have a lot of energy, but I know you have the yard to let her run. Fetch or retrieval games will be great stimulation for her and walks can probably be kept pretty short, but I know that Damian could help you train her. Do you want to come over here and let her smell your hand? Or we could just let her settle in and wander the room.”

“I’ll, um…” Danny trailed off as he moved to sit down on the ground at Jason’s feet. He leaned forward and offered his hand, stretching out as far as he could.

The mass of fluff crept forward a few inches, then a few more, and the last few to where she was close enough to sniff at Danny’s hand. The curly tail started to wag before the dog gave Danny’s hand a lick.

A small smile lit up Danny’s face. “Oh, you’re just a big fluffy sweetheart, aren’t you?”

“She really is. She gives me the biggest puppy dog eyes every time someone passes her and doesn’t give her attention. She really wants nothing more than to be with people or other pets and part of a family,” Lacey said.

Danny watched the dog snuff at Danny’s hand before he decided that it was probably okay to move forward a little more so that he could pet the dog. His fingers sank into the thick black fur and the curly tail started to wag.

“She’s kinda like a big teddy bear,” Danny said, completely missing the look that Damian and Jason exchanged behind his back at that statement.

“Chows are like that.,” Lacey agreed. “They get a bad rep because they can be really protective of their owners, so if she’s the dog you go with, you will need to work on socializing her. Taking her to the dog park or things like that would be a good step.”

“It will help that there is such a large amount of family and acquaintances coming and going from the manor,” Damian added. “But if she is the dog that will be yours, we can easily set up a plan for socialization.”

“I, um, I’ve never adopted a pet before. How do I know if she’s the right one?” Danny asked.

“Seeing if you get a long is a good start. With a big dog like her, I think you should walk him a little and play some. We can try some tricks too and see how she listens to you,” Lacey said. “We have a two week trial window where if you think she’s the right dog, she’ll go home with you and you can see how it all works out. If it doesn’t, she comes back here no issues.”

Danny took in a calming breath and let it out. “Okay, let’s see how it goes.”

The dog was a lot. There was no doubt about that what with her size, but she did seem very eager to listen. She apparently walked very well with Danny, even if that was almost sandwiched up against Danny’s side between him and the road. It reminded him of how Jason always walked, as if guarding Danny from the world.

There back at the shelter now. Danny buried his fingers in the dog’s thick fur, ruffling it idly.

“What do you guys think?” he asked his brothers.

“I think that she will be a loyal dog for you,” Damian said, “and that training her may also be beneficial for you.”

“That,” Jason said, “and that she likes you already just like you like her already. I think the only real question is what’s her name going to be?”

Danny looked down at the almost bottomless seeming brown eyes that were staring adoringly back up at him. “Ursa. Her name’s Ursa.”

-

Ursa took to the Manor immediately— or at least took next to being by Danny’s side in the manor. His bed seemed much smaller with her laying next to him, but he had a feeling it he woke up that night with a nightmare that it wouldn’t last long.

His fingers tightened in her mane as he took a breath and hit send on the text message to Babs.

Her name is Jasmine Fenton.

[huntingrays]

quick valgrace drabble bc jason deserves to be a dramatic bf (as a treat!)

“Leo,” a familiar voice whined from behind Leo.

Leo fought off a smile as he turned his head from his blueprints on his desk to look over at his boyfriend.

Leo often compared his boyfriend – Jason Grace – to a dog. He thought this was a very accurate comparison. However, there wasn’t just one dog breed that could fully capture what Jason was like. Like an onion, Jason had layers.

There were moments when Jason was like a wolf. This made a lot of sense since he was raised by Lupa when he was young. This was a side of him that most people saw.

There were moments when Jason was like a golden retriever. Only Leo and his closest friends got to see this side of him. Leo knew how much of an affectionate dork his boyfriend was, but he was surprised by how much he truly was like a golden retriever once they started dating. He would cling to Leo, follow him around, and would beam whenever he saw Leo enter a room.

Then, there were moments like this that only Leo saw. There were moments when Jason let himself be a silly teenage boy. There were moments when Jason displayed dramaticness that could rival that of a husky.

“What’s up, bro?” Leo asked. He observed Jason’s face with a smile, knowing precisely how he’d react to his boyfriend calling him ‘bro’ as a pet name.

Jason reacted exactly as he always did. He let out a small huff as his nose scrunched up. Leo suppressed a laugh at it. Jason decided to set that aside and let out a long, dramatic sigh. He truly matched the energy that dogs had when they sighed as if they just worked a 9-5.

“Leo, come to bed,” Jason whined, reaching out an arm toward Leo.

Leo shifted so he was sitting sideways in his chair and rested his arms over the back of it. Leo rarely got to see dramatic Jason Grace so he’d take his time to relish in it and tease him. “Can’t it wait? I’m very busy right now.”

Jason scowled, a pout threatening to form on his very kissable lips. “I’m your boyfriend. I’m the most important thing in your life, so I should come first.”

Leo couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of his throat at that. He knew that Jason tended to doubt himself and his importance to his friends and lover, so he was glad he could bring it up in moments like these, even if it was to be dramatic and clingy.

“Well, you’re right about that,” Leo said with a teasing lilt in voice. “But you’re always telling me I need to focus on my work more. Now you’re trying to get me to stop because of what you want? You’re a horrible influence, Grace.”

“That doesn’t apply now,” Jason replied with a small huff. “You’ve been working for so long,” it’s been ten minutes, “and I want to cuddle with my boyfriend. You can stop working for a cuddle break. Besides, this is more important and urgent. If you don’t cuddle with me, I will shrivel up and die. Do you want me to die, Valdez?”

“You’ll die?” Leo asked with a laugh. He reached over to his desk to set his pencil down. “I don’t think that’s scientifically possible.”

“It is,” Jason replied huffily. “It’s been medically proven that if you don’t cuddle with your boyfriend when he’s in desperate need of cuddles, then he will die. You can ask Will, he will say I’m right. You have to give me my medically required cuddles before I die.”

It was crazy how a seventeen-year-old boy who was over six feet tall, muscular, and once beat a titan with his bare hands could look so cute. When he saw Jason like this, he felt a thrill of pride and possessiveness that only he got to see him like this. He was the only one who experienced his playful, dramatic side and got to witness the slight pout on his lips or the way he whined for attention.

With a small chuckle, Leo finally stood up and walked over to the bed. “Of course, 'cause Will would never lie about that. Well, I guess I’ll cuddle with you to heal you. It’d be so inconvenient to have to get a new boyfriend. I’m far too lazy for that.”

Jason seemed too happy at the prospect of cuddles to be annoyed by Leo’s comment. He held up the blanket enough for Leo to climb over the covers with him. Leo did just that. Once he was close, Jason wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close.

“I love you,” Jason told him, nothing but pure affection and adoration in his voice.

”I know,” Leo replied, laughing and amusement in his voice.

Jason pouted. Leo couldn’t have that so he leaned in, kissing him. They had a lot of kisses over their relationship, but these were Leo’s favorites. It was sweet, slow, and full of all the love they had for each other. Leo made sure he showed through the kiss just how much he loved Jason, how much he meant to him.

When he pulled away, he cupped Jason’s cheeks, looking into those beautiful blue eyes. “I love you too.” Even if he showed Jason how much he loved him, he liked to be an overachiever at times. He wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to both show and tell Jason that he loved him.

Leo was terrible at remembering things. Thanks to his ADHD, he had both a terrible attention span and an awful memory. He could meet someone new and forget their name within five minutes. He could remember something insignificant like what types were strong against others in Pokemon but forget the date of an upcoming important exam. Leo’s memory was shit.

However, he knew he’d remember the smile that Jason gave him for the rest of his life.

[canisalbus]

You’ve most likely answered this before but what breed exactly is Machete? I’ve been trying to figure it out for a while I’ve thought maybe a saluki but the ears arnt right.

In theory his breed is fictional Podenco Siciliano, but he's not a purebred example. Out of existing dog breeds he looks closest to (and is related to) Ibizan Hound.

But sometimes I see Silken Windhounds that also kind of remind me of him. They just don't have the characteristic bat ears.

[serpentface]

A braithuvi horse at rest under the close protection and watchful, scary, pale-eyed gaze of her herd's guardian, a dírgrahdain. Both are landraces developed within the Highlands. The ancestors of braithuvi (and other Highlands native horses) were brought overseas by the ancestors of the Hill Tribes, while the dogs were obtained from native livestock guardian landraces used by proto-Wardi tribes. Each have become distinct over their centuries of living in the Highlands, and dírgrahdain are have a particularly unique place in the cultural schema.

Braithuvi are a woolly horse breed (and one of many, wool horses are widespread, second only to camala in value for textiles) that are also somewhat specialized for milk production. Their meat is relatively poor (other horses are preferred), but they produce high yields of milk and thick, continuous growths of wool.

Horses are not as culturally significant as cattle to most in the Highlands, but are still highly valued animals that are critical to subsistence. Few plant-based textiles can be produced in the Highlands, and almost all in the region are made with braithuvi wool. They can eat a greater variety of forage than cattle, more efficiently converting energy intake from pastures into milk and wool. Their milk is considered to be the very best of all livestock, and is usually what is used to make the prized murre beverage.

Dogs have a very small specific place in the cultures of the Hill Tribes as utilitarian working animals (specifically for livestock and occasionally as home/village guardians), and rarely ever fill other functions. The practice of keeping dogs purely for companionship is virtually nonexistent (though affectionate bonds between people and their herding or household guard dogs will be fairly common), and their meat is considered worthless. Most dogs are not elevated within the cultural schema, and tend to be merely appreciated as useful, loyal animals. Livestock guardian dogs are an exception to this, and tend to be of more significant cultural import. They are animals that exist to protect the herds on which all subsistence depends, and thus have an elevated cultural status and roles in religion and folklore as uniquely protective entities.

Dírgrahdain are the key livestock guardian dogs in the region, and the only natively developed LGD. Their name means 'lion dog', both in reference to their maned appearance and their ability to fend off and even kill the largest of predators. The dogs are characterized by tall, long-legged builds, deep chests, a curly tail, thick hair (and a thicker winter coat), and a shaggy mane. Their bodies tend to be thinner and lankier than their fur coat suggests, but still well-muscled and powerful. Their coloration can vary wildly, but a black mask with a brown or reddish body like this is most typical. Unnerving, pale eyes are prized in these dogs, with the belief that they not only intimidate predators but are uniquely potent at fending off malicious spirits.

The dog's exclusive function is to protect livestock. They are used primarily for the defense of horses, which are small and very vulnerable to predators (lions, hyenas, king hyena, wild dogs, jackals, nechoi, and even eagles can be threats), though some dogs will usually be posted up with cattle herds to deter raiders.

Pups are most commonly born in the field among their herds. They will be carried in their master's coat while still nursing, but will be allowed to join their mother in her duties from the moment they are strong enough to follow. Dírgrahdain live with their herds day and night. Most will never see the inside of a home, and most seem to prefer it that way. They form close and protective bonds with their charges, and will thoroughly integrate themselves into the social fabric of the herd.

These dogs are not human-oriented, and will usually only form bonds with people that they have imprinted on as puppies (and will merely be cool and polite to those met later in life). They are highly aggressive towards strangers, and introductions must be done incrementally and with great care. This is desirable, as this trait makes them an excellent line of defense against livestock raids. Their loud, booming barks can alert of intruders from a great distance, and they can often successfully intimidate khait, causing some mounted raids to end in humiliating failure. Dírgrahdain are often killed in raids, either to fend off the attacking dog or to silence it before its master can be alerted. This is not outright dishonorable, but not something one will be commended for. Cattle raiding culture here values swiftness, stealth, and strategy- such smash and grab tactics are seen as brutish (and will often result in harsher retribution).

Like most LGDs, they primarily defend their herds by displays of aggression and power, using their loud bark, fearsome growl, and powerful bodies to chase and intimidate predators away without physical contact. Even so, it is necessary for all working dírgrahdain to be willing and able to physically confront predators when necessary. A well-trained, well-bonded dog will defend their herds with their very life, and is often effective in combat against even very large wild predators. Their dense ‘manes’ offer a degree of protection from wounds to the throat, and may be supplemented with spiked collars.

If a mother dog kills a predator, it is often customary to open the carcass and lead her puppies to feed on it. This is thought to teach the pups to be fearless against their enemies, and that they will grow up to be uniquely powerful and brave adults. Pups are given names upon reaching adult size, and ones who have consumed the flesh of predators will get unique names related to their mother's kill, or epithets as supplements to a given name (the exact details of this practice culturally varies). One might encounter dogs in the Highlands named things like Lionsbane, Hyena-killer, She Who Bites Jackals, Lion-Fed Shaggy (Lion-Fed being the honorable epithet, Shaggy being the dog's name, possibly given by a very small child)

The mere gaze of a dírgrahdain is said to fend off malicious spirits, and their thundering bark can scare away even the most dangerous of mountain devils. Their shed hair is needle felted into little dolls (usually into the form of dogs themselves) and placed into the cradles of infants and worn as charms by children to protect them from harm (both mundane and supernatural). Manes taken from dead dírgrahdain have uses among some of the Hill Tribes, and are typically only allowed to be used by their masters (unless recieved as a gift). The most prominent usages are being worn to fend off evil spirits and predators while traveling alone, and some traditions involve placing the manes around the necks or across the bellies of women in labor as a means of spiritual protection for mother and child during birth.

The Hill Tribes and Wardi both identify the same constellation along the ecliptic as a dog. In the case of the former, this stellar dog is identified as Mak-Urudain, a gigantic dírgrahdain with fur the color of flame and eyes as bright as stars, who is the eternal guardian of the Celestial Fields. He allows the souls of the worthy dead to pass into the afterlife and for esteemed ancestors to descend back to the land to guide the living, while preventing malicious spirits, devils, and the dishonored dead from entry.

One Bernike tale describes her attempting to fly into the Celestial Fields to steal the heavenly cattle who graze there. She took the form of a golden eagle, pretending to be an ancestor returning from a sojourn to the world of the living in order to get past the guardian hound. Mak-Urudain was not fooled for long, and led her on a long chase through the night sky before capturing her and hurling her out of the Celestial Fields.

She was never able to even touch the ground of the Fields (much less take any cattle), but had just enough time to take a single seed of heavenly grass in her beak. She returned to her mountain (missing most of her tail feathers and much of her pride) and planted the grass in her then-barren slopes. This is why the grass on Bernike's mountain is so tall and abundant and why cattle there grow so fat and healthy, like all cattle will in the afterlife. The howling winds heard from the mountaintops are playfully suggested to be the barks and howls of Mak-Urudain, calling down from the heavens to keep the witch grounded in the world of the living.

[bonefall]

Willowpelt sounds SO autistic, it not being funny wraps around into being funny again.

My secret is being so autistic and so surrounded by so many other autistic people that I forget what tismless people even do. Everyone in BB ends up getting a touch of ADHDautism. As a treat.

But yeah when I was jotting it down I realized it too. Like wow, I really hit this one with the autism beam. Me and you, Willy, we will both have adamantine opinions. I cannot condone your hatred of apples but you do have a good point about oak trees.

[seagulley]

spoke to our vet about Puppy Plans yesterday and found out that apparently one of the biggest GR breeders in the country is producing questionable temperaments… this matches what our rally instructor told me, although she didn’t say it quite as directly. anyway i love having good contacts in the dog world who can tell me shit like this 😌

[debellatis]

save me dog hob... dog hob... dog hob, save me......

Makes pair with my cat dream

[darkwood-sleddog]

i do think the term "pet dog" and even "house dog and EVEN "working pet dog" are too vague of terms to be a designation of a kind of dog. what i want and can handle from a pet dog, a house dog, and a working pet dog are 1.) all the same to me and 2.) vastly different than what you (generalized) want and can handle. Perhaps those terms mean different things to you, perhaps you can handle more or less than me, perhaps you can handle the same 'amount' as me but in different ways. The possibilities are endless!

There are lots of dogs i would struggle to live with and keep happy as pets, dogs that are breeds or individuals deemed "easier" than the breed i own. This is okay. They make great pets for somebody else.

In the same vein, lots of people would struggle with my dogs or find their behaviors utterly miserable to live with even if they could handle them. This is okay. They make great pets for me.

That is the great thing about dogs, they are incredibly varied in their looks, size, temperaments, and purpose. Some are bred to JUST be companions and even out of those companion breeds they can have huge differences!

If you want a dog, there is a dog out there for you, but that does not mean that every dog will suit you and your life. And that's okay!

[sergle]

Now I’m curious, what breeds are on your list?

✨Golden Retrievers✨ Pomeranians Samoyeds Rottweilers Irish red setters German Shepherd (I like the black ones) Rough Collies and Shelties Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dogs Cocker Spaniels St. Bernards Borzois and probably more that I forgot to list!! These are all dogs that I Especially want to cry when I see them, and that I could see myself loving / being able to meet the particular needs of their breed. I've expanded my Range a little in the two years since I brought Hugo home, since he's taught me a lot about dogs, and I could potentially take care of a baby with very different needs from the ones that he had. I'm still by no means a dog expert but. Yanno. You learn small things over time! In the end, when I was searching for a dog a few years ago, I had a few qualifications I didn't want to budge on. I needed a dog that's trainable, but not stubborn, a dog that's gentle and considerate with my cats and my niblings, a dog that's not too reactive, a dog with soft fur, and a dog that is affectionate. So... Hugo is all of those things!!! He picks up skills quickly and listens (I gotta work on his Recall though), he takes extreme care around the cats and is so careful that he can be left alone with kittens and baby chicks, so being sat on / bothered / tugged on by small kids isn't even a challenge. He has never growled at anyone or anything in Irritation in his life. He's never bared his teeth. He doesn't bark at strangers or at odd noises, he doesn't snap as a response to being surprised. He's extremely pillowy soft, and his fur doesn't irritate my skin or pierce my clothes. He is extremely, extremely sweet and loving, frankly to the point that he would easily fall in love with a new owner if he was kidnapped lmao. You can maybe see why I like goldens so much. I got REALLY close to adopting a Pomeranian, which I'll continue to Think About, basically forever... but as someone with a predisposition for migraines, I don't want to set the dog up for failure if I'm not ready to hear bark bark bark bark bark bark bark all day. That's the ONLY downside. Maybe I invest in some noise cancelling headphones? They're beautiful dogs though, I love an animal that looks like a little rat. You ever see one of them after a bath? My god.

[lonely--seeker]

Everyday my puppy wakes up before me and everyday I secretly watch her wake up, check on me and if I'm still asleep decide on going back to sleep. That is until she catches me being awake to finally properly jump on my chest and stretch on top of me while licking my face, and I think, of how much of a special little girl she is.

[bas-rouge]

Does anyone have any advice for reaching out to a breeder for the first time? I am reaching out through email and usually I just sort of stumble into breeders in-person so I'm very nervous and any advice would be appreciated 😭

[steakout-05]

staffy expectations vs staffy reality (by someone who has an absolute sweetheart of an american staffy <3)

[pendraegon]

okay looked it up and you should NOT outrun a dog if it attacks you, i was lucky bc the breed was not a running breed

[barbatoskisser]

I feel like I have more dog than cat vibes but I can't tell for sure.

I mean yeah, your kinfa right

But i can just as easily see you as an old and wise feline as i can seeing you as an old and wise canine

You dont have the energeticness of a pup, or the mischeviousnesw of a kitten eithwr

So im thinking just, like,

I had the words -

Oh

You have the loyality of a dog yeah, but the calmness of an older one

Your quite calm and easy to talk with

So yeah, just a medoum aged doggo

[cuteniaarts]

Fanny, my sweet, beautiful girl

17.11.2012 – 14.04.2019

[pawsitivevibe]

"Anyone whose dog isn't a national qualifier isn't allowed to comment on Bree's appearance. Unless it's to say how beautiful she is." - Tom, about the haters